The new Bengal tiger
Keeping it simple
Right from college, he stood out in a crowd because of his intellect and simplicity. Colleagues recall him as always down-to-earth and humble.
Friends recall him reciting Bengali poems during scintillating adda -- the uniquely Bengali expression for a conversation among friends -- sessions at Kolkata's College Street Coffee House.
Even as a successful politician, he has retained his simplicity.
Despite repeated requests by security personnel to shift to a bigger and safer house, Bhattacharya has preferred to live in his modest two-room south Kolkata government apartment.
'I don't want to leave the place which has been a cosy home to me, my wife Meera and daughter Suchetana all these years. A bigger house doesn't necessarily mean more safety. If so, then (then prime minister) Indira Gandhi would not have been assassinated,' he told a Bengali newspaper.
Bhattacharya often defies protocol to attend to the people. Once, a mathematics teacher landed up at the chief minister's home to point out glaring errors in government school textbooks. Though he was stopped by the chief minister's security guards, Bhattacharya called him in, spoke to him, and took steps to correct the errors.
Government sources say Bhattacharya seldom throws his weight around. "The typical Bangali Babu that he is, he loves non-vegetarian food and will not complain as long as he gets his morning cup of tea and his packet of cigarettes," says someone who has watched him from close quarters.
Photograph: AFP/Getty Images
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